Au contraire: is the Times supposed to ignore the fact that Peter Gelb and Mark Volpe - Levine's bosses - are both making "candid statements about the need to have serious talks with Mr. Levine to assess what he can realistically commit to," according to Tommasini's article?

Au contraire: Jeremy Eichler report on this issue a couple of weeks ago in the Globe.

Of course there's concern all over, and of course everyone wants Levine well and able to conduct, but given his position as a public figure and the leader of two major musical institution, the possibility that he'll have to limit his workload or even step down from one post or otherwise have a restricted role needs to be out in the open.

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It's an interesting season --the pairing of Oedipus Rex with Bluebeard's Castle seems especially inspired-- but the chances of Levine conducting anywhere near all of his scheduled performances is certainly nil.

The BSO needs to start the search for a new principal conductor ASAP. Levine's health has been in decline for years and it's ludicrous to keep planning seasons (and the attendant promotional campaign) around a man who is now approaching Carlos Kleiber levels of canceling.

Okay, I actually started moaning when I saw the Ades program. But I'll take a few others of those, too. Lots of Schoenberg and Harbison; that program with Christian Tezlaff looks great; POLLINI; Susanna Malkki's program; Ligeti Double Concerto on an otherwise eh program with a great conductor. I might even go to Masur's program for Freire. And you're right about the Stravinsky/Bartok pairing!